Three candidates for mayor of Albany met for a virtual debate Wednesday evening.
Democratic Mayor Kathy Sheehan is seeking a third term. During a virtual debate Wednesday evening, the mayor defended her eight years in office against hopefuls Alicia Purdy and Greg Aidala. Purdy is the Republican nominee while Aidala is running on the Independence Party line.
Sheehan began the debate by describing investments made in New York’s capital city during her time in city hall.
“When I came into office in 2014 we were the most fiscally stressed city in the state, and I have taken us out of that fiscal stress by fighting for our fair share and getting unprecedented new state funding – the first mayor in decades to be able to accomplish that,” said Sheehan. “And we’ve also been able to grow our tax base. Our tax base has grown by nearly 10 percent since I became mayor. We’ve seen billion – that’s with a ‘B’ – dollars’ worth of investment in our city.”
While Sheehan touted the city’s delivery of essential services during the COVID emergency, Purdy – who has cast herself the “people’s candidate” – said Albany requires new leadership in the wake of the pandemic.
“We really do need a leader who is going to lead us forward into the next four years out of the pandemic, which was a difficult time for everyone on the planet,” said Purdy. “And when we look at the path ahead, I see an Albany that is economically thriving. I see an Albany that’s a clean city. I see an Albany where people feel safe. I see an Albany where there is a plan in place to address community fractures and there is a plan in place to facilitate communication.”
Aidala, who relocated to the city’s West Hill neighborhood where his family owns an auto shop, put his focus on violence in the city. He described a fatal shooting on his block.
“This past May I watched my neighbor get gunned down by a drive-by. I was the one who called 911 and I was one of the first people on the street to be there for him, and I watched him die. It’s a horrific event. So my three main concerns are I want to make Albany the safest small city in America, I want to make it the cleanest small city in America, and I want to make it the smartest small city in America,” said Aidala.
Several questions were asked about policing, crime, and community relations.
Sheehan applauded the efforts of the Albany Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative.
“We are expecting our police officers to cure the ills of the world, and that’s not fair to them. And that’s why I proposed in my 2022 budget some additional caseworker positions, civilian caseworker positions to help unburden that load from our police officers,” said Sheehan.
As Sheehan touted an effort to put more cadets through academy, Aidala said officers in Albany are demoralized, and that the city is not attracting new hires.
“We are down 80 cops in Albany and another seven just left, either for other counties or a state, you know, a trooper job, or it just wasn’t cut out for them. That happens. So I think it really starts with allowing cops…to do their job with accountability,” said Aidala.
Purdy claimed the relationship between the city and police is lacking.
“Police have their backs against the wall. They’re done. They don’t want to work in the city of the Albany because they know thier badge is in jeopardy, and their pension, and their career. And really what has happened is it’s created a sense in Albany of the police don’t show up, the police aren’t here for the people, and the police have their own perspective, so I think the first thing we need to reform is the leadership, because as the head goes, so does the bodies,” said Purdy.
Purdy elaborated in describing her opposition to Local Law J, a ballot proposal that would provide subpoena power to the city’s Community Police Review Board.
“I don’t support it because I think it’s an overreach and to be perfectly honest with you, it violates the collective bargaining agreements and the disciplinary structure that the police union has, and I’m not interested in a lawsuit,” said Purdy.
Sheehan explained why she supports the measure to strengthen the CPRB.
“I believe that Local Law J gives us the opportunity to say to our community that there is a group of individuals who represent our community, who come from our community, who provide that oversight on policing actions where citizens and residnets feel as though they were not treated fairly or that they were discriminated against,” said Sheehan.
Aidala did not directly answer whether he supports Local Law J, but reasserted his call for accountability.
“Everyone must be held accountable, I mean, for their actions. The people, OK, the residents, and also the law enforcement when they act improperly. But they need to know, the police force needs to know that they are definitely supported if we are going to restore public safety in the City of Albany and provide a prosperous, safe, and healthy future for every single person in Albany,” said Aidala.
Wednesday’s event was co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Albany, the Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations, and the Albany Branch of the NAACP, and was moderated by JoDee Kenney of Spectrum News. Early voting begins Saturday.
To view Wednesday’s virtual debate on Facebook visit: https://fb.watch/8NheQ7WQRc/
